The Kiss of Death
by Jenn B
Summary: ~ Complete~Marguerite reaps the consequences of her actions; but will she survive them? M/R ship. **Chap. 3 problem fixed**
1. Prologue

Title: The Kiss of Death Rating: PG to PG-13 Disclaimer: If I owned them this would be a script for S4 lol . ;-) Summary: Marguerite makes a grave error in judgment that catches up with her. Distribution: Anywhere just let me know first please. Also at my site http://www.geocities.com/intotheunknowntlw Feedback: Most definitely.see the review button? Lol  
  
Authors Note: I expanded on the facts in this one a little bit for the sake of the story I had in mind.I don't want to give too much away until the end of the story but please don't berate me on my medical facts because I meant for them to be a bit off. And hey, anything can happen in the lost world right? ;-)  
  
The Kiss of Death  
  
Prologue  
  
The warmer than normal temperatures plaguing the already balmy jungle had brought a number of new creatures lurking out from under whatever rocks or bushes they had been living beneath in search of a cooler climate. The inhabitants of the tree house were not spared from invasion and were constantly swatting away flying pests or crawling creatures. Challenger was exuberant about the opportunity to study new species (and refused to allow the other adventures to kill the wayward bugs that wandered into their paths) and was on constant search for new containers to capture specimens in for later examination. Much to her dismay even one of Marguerite's near empty bottles of precious shampoo was lost to the cause; something that Challenger was loudly berated for when she discovered that it was missing. The heat had everyone on edge as it was, and Marguerite's ranting quickly cleared the tree house as Roxton, Malone, and Veronica went along on a bug collecting expedition with Challenger; leaving Marguerite bored at home with no one to complain to about the injustice of having her favorite shampoo so carelessly poured down the drain. An evil smirk passed over the heiress's face as she paced angrily by Challenger's lab; if she couldn't salvage the contents at least she could recover the bottle.  
  
" What could one little bug be so important for anyway?" She said to the empty room as if convincing herself that her upcoming actions would be justified.  
  
Marching down the steps into the cluttered laboratory, Marguerite spied her expensive Parisian bottle housing an inch long bug that was creeping along the bottom; magnified by the green tinted glass. The fancy label that had once proudly stated the worth of its contents was crudely scraped off and had been replaced by a scrawled note from Challenger reading: "Triatomid (kissing) bug. Mutated form?".  
  
" Oh, well." Marguerite said coyly, uncorking the top of the bottle and dumping the insect unceremoniously onto the ground. " Go home little bug. This belongs to me." As she turned her back the bug scampered out of sight under a blanket that was resting on one of the chairs in the room, forgotten by Marguerite who was hurriedly heading back to her room with her pilfered bottle before the others came back home. 


	2. Chapter One

Disclaimer and other information in Prologue.  
  
Chapter One  
  
The rising sun brought with it the promise of another hot day and the explorers were slowly waking up to the already uncomfortable conditions. Marguerite rolled over in bed with a frustrated groan; the heat had kept her awake most of the night and the last thing she wanted to do was get up after only a few hours of sleep. She could already hear the soft tones of Ned and Roxton talking in the other room and the aromatic smell of coffee motivated her to stretch tense muscles and trudge out of bed. Glancing at her reflection in the mirror perched near the wall as she dressed, Marguerite was dismayed to see a small red welt swelling on her cheek near her jaw line, no doubt the work of one of the numerous insects roaming the jungle. She growled at her reflection causing the men in the other room to glance up curiously as she stomped out. Ned and Malone shared a silent glance of warning with one another and Roxton quickly took action to try and appease the violent mood of the heiress.  
  
" Coffee, Marguerite?" He said, holding out the fluid filled cup as a peace offering.  
  
Marguerite grudgingly accepted the cup; it wasn't Roxton's fault that a bug had bitten her after all. She eased down in a chair, casually maneuvering a lock of her thick hair to cover the bite on her cheek. Just as she was relaxing a yell came from the general direction of the lab causing her to spill a few drops of coffee on her white blouse.  
  
" Marguerite!" Challenger's voice boomed as he stomped loudly up the stairs.  
  
" George?" Roxton inquired hesitantly; it was rare that the scientist lost his temper. " What's the matter?"  
  
" Marguerite, would you happen to know what happened to the bottle containing the Triatomid specimen?" Challenger asked her in a voice that clearly stated that he believed that she did in fact know.  
  
" Tria-what? Really, George, am I supposed to keep track of your silly bug collection now?"  
  
" Silly--Marguerite, did you take the bottle with the Triatomid bug in it or didn't you?"  
  
" I may have taken one of my shampoo bottles out of your lab-"  
  
" Marguerite!" Roxton said shaking his head in amazement at her audacity.  
  
" What! It was mine in the first place was it not?"  
  
" All right!" George interrupted before the two could get into one of their famous arguments. " The bottle doesn't matter. What did you do with the bug?"  
  
" I let it go."  
  
" You set it free! Marguerite! That was a highly dangerous insect. One bite can fell a grown man in normal circumstances and I fear that this was no ordinary Triatomid sampling." Challenger lectured in frustration. " What's a Tri-at-omid?" Ned piped up from the sidelines where he had been observing the argument silently.  
  
" The Triatomid bug is native to the jungle. There have been numerous cases of it being a carrier for a particular parasite, one that can be quite deadly indeed. The sample that I had captured seemed to be a rare variety of the species."  
  
" And it's more dangerous than the other kind?" Roxton asked taking a sip of his coffee.  
  
" Yes, quite. There have only been a few isolated cases that I've read of but in the case of the victims a bite from this particular variety caused accelerated symptoms, making diagnosis and treatment extremely difficult."  
  
" All this worry over a little bug. It probably crawled back under whatever rock you abducted in from in the first place and is living happily ever after safe in its home." Marguerite said, disregarding the men's concerns. " I for one am more worried about if the coffee your outburst caused me to spill on this blouse is going to stain than a small insect that could be easily crushed under the heel of my boot. Now if you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I am going to go change."  
  
By the end of the day the bite on Marguerite's cheek had grown nothing but larger, much to her annoyance. Not only that but it had begun to itch horribly and the more she scratched it the larger it swelled making it increasingly difficult to keep it hidden from the other explorers.  
  
' They'd never let me live it down after my letting that damn bug free. Some sort of twisted justice.' She thought to herself; angrily plucking leaves off a plant for a jungle version of a salad that would accompany the meal of raptor that was slowly cooking in the oven.  
  
Veronica and Challenger exchanged a mutual look of warning as Marguerite practically tossed the salad bowl and very nearly its contents onto the table. Roxton raised an eyebrow at Ned who was sitting across from him at the table jotting something into his latest journal. " So, dinner's served I take it?" Roxton quipped. The answer to his question came with a swift toss of the dishrag Marguerite had in her hand aimed perfectly at his head. As the shadows descended on the plateau the explorers settled back to relax after a large meal and mostly satisfying conversation. Roxton had noticed that Marguerite was uncharacteristically silent throughout the meal and that she kept attempting to subtly rub her right cheek with her shoulder. Curious, he followed her outside where she was leaning on the rail staring off into the dark expanse of the jungle.  
  
" Care for some company?" He said softly.  
  
Marguerite turned to look at him over her shoulder and gave a small shrug of indifference. She casually reached up to scratch her cheek again, something that did not get by Roxton.  
  
" Something the matter?"  
  
" No, no. Why do you ask?" She said, realizing her mistake.  
  
" You've been bothering that cheek all night."  
  
" Oh, you know those damn mosquitoes. They've practically taken over the tree house lately."  
  
" Have you talked to Challenger about it? I'm sure he has something in the lab that could ease the itch a bit."  
  
" After this morning? No, thank you."  
  
" Well you have to admit, Marguerite, taking that bottle back was a little low, even for you."  
  
" Even for me?" Marguerite said indignantly, raising an angry eyebrow at Roxton.  
  
" Oh come now; you know what I meant. And even so, I'm sure Challenger wouldn't want you to suffer." Roxton replied with a smirk.  
  
Marguerite huffed softly making her opinion on the matter know and causing Roxton to chuckle as he placed a hand on the small of her back and led her inside to make amends with Challenger. 


	3. Chapter Two

Disclaimer and other information in Prologue.  
  
Chapter Two  
  
"How's that mosquito bite, Marguerite? Is the salve helping?" Challenger questioned the heiress a few mornings later.  
  
" It's fine, thank you." She replied wondering if she had imagined the smug note to the professor's voice. The amused smirk on Roxton's face as she glanced over at him indicated that she had probably not been hearing things.  
  
In truth the salve had done little to nothing else than relieving the horrible itch for a minute or two at a time. The jar the cream was in was already half empty and Marguerite's patience was rapidly running out.  
  
The group was heading out today for an expedition to explore a new cave that Challenger and Ned had come across previously whilst hunting for new lab specimens. Their own explorations had been cut short by the rapidly setting sun but it was mutually agreed that it was worth looking into, if nothing else to add it to the rapidly growing collection of sketches and maps of the mysterious plateau. Marguerite was less than enthusiastic about walking the distance to the site, especially with the onset of fatigue she had been feeling the last couple of days, but was even less motivated to spend the night by herself in the tree house.  
  
And so they set out, Veronica and Challenger taking up the lead while Ned and Roxton amused each other with stories of some sort and Marguerite lagging behind.  
  
" Come on, Marguerite!" Roxton teased the heiress. " I think a tortoise just passed you by!"  
  
" Funny." She muttered back with a scowl that only caused the hunter to chuckle. Clenching her fists as if to summon all her strength she picked up the pace as much as she was able, stomping by the two men to join Veronica and Challenger at the front. By now the persistent headache that she had been battling with had gone from a dull throb to a pounding roar and the sooner they got to the cave and set up camp the better. Roxton and Ned chuckled softly at Marguerite's characteristic haughtiness and continued on.  
  
Dusk was already tinting the sky a dark orange and pink when the adventurers finally set up camp a few miles away from their final destination. Marguerite gratefully collapsed on a fallen log as the others bustled about to set up the camp. Ignoring the glares aimed in her direction she gulped down a generous amount of water from the canteen she had been hording all day. Her throat felt like it was on fire and her limbs felt as if she had ran the entire distance. Sliding off the log onto the ground next to the large trunk she laid her head back onto the wooden surface letting her hat slip down to shield her eyes from the dimming light.  
  
"Marguerite!" was the next thing the heiress heard being shouted in her ear. The earth was moving under her and she realized that someone was shaking her by the shoulders none too gently. Blinking rapidly she focused on Roxton who was looking down at her with a mixture of concern and irritation. " Nice of you to join us, Sleeping Beauty." He said sarcastically.  
  
" What time is it?" she asked groggily; the smell of the campfire drifting over to her.  
  
" It's already dark I'll have you know. You're lucky to have such good friends who will wake you for the supper they worked to cook while you napped."  
  
"Supper?" Marguerite groaned as a wave of nausea swept over her. " I'm not very hungry."  
  
"Marguerite? What is it?" John asked, his irritation rapidly turning to worry as her face turned pale.  
  
" Nothing, I must have caught a little bug or something. I think I just need to lie down."  
  
" Are you sure? Do you want Challenger-?"  
  
"No! No, I'm sure it's nothing, John. A good night's sleep should be just the thing." She said adamantly, wavering a little as she pulled her rebellious body into a standing position.  
  
"Whoa." Roxton said as he put an arm around her waist to steady her. His forehead creased in concern as he helped her over to the tent she would be sharing with Veronica.  
  
" Roxton?" Challenger asked standing up quickly as soon as he noticed Marguerite's condition.  
  
" It's ok, George." The hunter said sharing a look of understanding with his friend.  
  
" Here you are now." Roxton said, gently lowering the half conscious Marguerite onto a blanket inside the tent. Smoothing a mislaid curl away from her forehead he watched as she slipped into a deep sleep. Kissing her temple softly he tucked her into the makeshift bed and quickly walked out of the tent to confer with Challenger.  
  
" What was that all about?" Ned questioned the hunter as he appeared from the folds of the lean to.  
  
" Seems our Marguerite has picked up some sort of virus. Have you seen anything like this before?" He questioned, aiming the inquiry at both Veronica and Challenger.  
  
" It could be a simple bout with influenza or a similar illness. Although where she would have contracted such a virus is beyond my knowledge." Challenger replied thoughtfully.  
  
" I'll keep an eye on her tonight." Veronica offered.  
  
" Don't worry, old boy," Challenger said to Roxton as they dispersed to their various sleeping quarters, " Things will look better in the morning."  
  
Roxton nodded inattentively as he glanced toward the tent in which his love soundly slept. Opting to take the first watch, the hunter leaned against a tree in which he could keep an eye on the tent as well as the rest of the jungle and settled in for the duration.  
  
"Challenger!" Veronica shouted early the next morning causing the men to jump up in alarm.  
  
" Veronica?" Challenger said, running to the entrance of the lean to the women were staying in.  
  
" She's burning up." Veronica said indicating the writhing Marguerite who was clearly under the throes of a high fever. Sweat glistened on her forehead and chest and a soft moan escaped her lips as her head tossed rapidly to the side.  
  
" Marguerite!" Roxton gasped, moving to kneel next to the ailing woman. He cradled her head in his lap placing a cool hand on her brow. The heat that met with his skin was alarming and he glanced up in fear at Challenger who was staring pensively at the side of Marguerite's face.  
  
"Dear God!" the scientist exclaimed. " The insect bite! I should have seen this sooner."  
  
"Challenger?" Ned asked, waiting for an explanation to this cryptic outburst.  
  
"I'm afraid that Marguerite may have been afflicted with a bite from the Triatomid bug; the specimen that she released from my lab."  
  
" Why do you think that?" Veronica said skeptically.  
  
" This particular insect is called the "kissing bug" with good reason. It leaves a red welt on the cheek of its victim, the place it usually tends to bite. That bite that Marguerite received coincides with the release of the bug; it's logical to conclude that was or is somewhere in the house and went looking for a victim."  
  
"That's all well and good, George, but what the hell do we do about it?" Roxton said sharply.  
  
" I'm not quite sure, Roxton. Researchers have been experimenting with different types of antibiotics for this affliction but none have proven to be consistent in their effectiveness. Finding such medicine on the plateau could take much more time than we have to spare."  
  
"Veronica, do you think the Zanga would know of a remedy?" Ned queried.  
  
"They could. I've never heard of this bug before but if it is native to the jungle someone has to have had an encounter with it before."  
  
" Ned, why don't you and Veronica enlist the help of the Zanga? Roxton and I will stay here and keep her comfortable for the time being."  
  
Ned nodded solemnly, and the two blondes hastily grabbed their equipment and scrambled to dress. Before long their retreating forms were lost in the jungle foliage.  
  
" I'll gather some supplies to try and get that fever down. You'd better stay here and keep an eye on her. Try wetting some cloth to cool her down." Challenger directed.  
  
" Like I'd be anywhere else." Roxton murmured softly at the fitfully sleeping Marguerite. 


	4. Chapter Three

Disclaimer and other information in Prologue.  
  
Chapter Three  
  
" She's getting worse isn't she, George?" Roxton said sullenly, his jaw clenched as he waited for his friend's answer.  
  
"Yes." He paused before practically jumping up from where he was kneeling checking Marguerite's pulse. In the last few hours it had jumped to an alarming rate and the stress on her heart was becoming worrisome. "Damn! Where are Ned and Veronica?" Challenger exploded, his patience wearing thin as he watched his companion suffer.  
  
" Right here, Challenger." Ned said eliciting a sigh of relief from both of the men in the tent.  
  
" Did the Zanga have a remedy?" Roxton asked anxiously  
  
" They did." Veronica said peeking into the enclosure with a triumphant smile on her face. " Challenger, they said you need to seep these flowers in hot water and mix them with two of these cedron leaves. It should help slow her heart and lower her temperature."  
  
" Thank God." Challenger said, exhaling with relief. " Let's just hope there will be no permanent side effects to this little misadventure."  
  
'Side effects!' thought Roxton with alarm. The possibility of permanent damage to his beloved hadn't even entered his mind until now.  
  
" Drink up, Marguerite." Roxton said softly as he administered the brew Challenger had quickly concocted.  
  
"How soon will we see results?" Ned asked Challenger.  
  
" I'm not sure, Malone. I would think it would depend on the extent of the poison in Marguerite's bloodstream."  
  
" But she is going to recover." Roxton said, as more of a statement than a question, daring anyone to argue with him.  
  
" It's very likely." Challenger said, giving the hunter's tense shoulder a gentle squeeze of reassurance. Glancing over at Veronica he followed her cue to step outside along with Ned, leaving Roxton to stand vigil.  
  
" The shaman said that there is a time period for which this remedy will be effective." Veronica whispered, so that the already worried Roxton would be spared.  
  
" Then if Marguerite is too far gone-" Ned said with renewed worry.  
  
" Then she may not survive." Challenger confirmed grimly. " I'm worried about the strain to her heart. It is not uncommon for long term effects to be linked to this kind of infection."  
  
" Let's just hope that she'll still be the same Marguerite she was before when she wakes up." Veronica said hopefully.  
  
" If she wakes up." Ned said sadly. 


	5. Chapter Four

Disclaimer and other information in Prologue.  
  
Chapter Four  
  
" Why isn't she waking up?" Roxton asked Challenger anxiously.  
  
" Come now, she has to be exhausted from all of this. I'm sure she's just resting. See? The remedy has already brought her pulse back to normal speed and her fever has all but receded." Challenger said as he examined the patient.  
  
" I suppose so." Roxton mumbled, taking Marguerite's hand into his own to confirm what the scientist was saying.  
  
"Give it time."  
  
" It's been too long already, George."  
  
" Yes. Far too long since you've had a rest, Roxton. Why don't you go and get some coffee and try and sleep a spell. There's nothing else to be done here and we don't want you falling ill as well."  
  
" She needs me, George. I need to be here."  
  
" A few minutes aren't going to hurt anyone. I promise I'll call you if there's the slightest change."  
  
Roxton pondered this for a moment, his loyalties divided. Sighing with acceptance the hunter nodded slightly and walked out of the tent with a brief kiss to Marguerite's hand before doing so.  
  
" It will be best to return to the tree house. There are better supplies there and it will do her good to be in a warm bed."  
  
" It's been three bloody days, Challenger. Why isn't she waking up?"  
  
" I don't know, Roxton. I wish to hell I did."  
  
" Are you ready yet?" Malone said peeking his head inside the tent.  
  
"Yes." Roxton said reluctantly. " I'll help you with the stretcher, Malone."  
  
" It's ready when you are."  
  
" Come back to us, Marguerite. Please." Roxton pleaded after the tent had been vacated. Lifting her still form in his arms he cradled her to his body as he carried her out into the sunlight and laid her on the stretcher.  
  
  
  
The tree house was a welcome sight for the weary explorers. Their mood was less that content, however, and even the clanking of the elevator as it lifted them to the top of the mighty tree seemed dismal.  
  
Placed in her bed, Marguerite looked even paler against the red of the linens she so enjoyed. Roxton was grateful for the chair that Challenger instinctively placed at her bedside; knowing that the man would be staying there until his body required sleep and sustenance and then he would leave for only a moment or request that food and a blanket be brought to him there. It had already become much of a routine among the household; with shifts taken to watch both Marguerite and to monitor Roxton.  
  
After a week had passed with very little change in Marguerite's condition the explorers were rapidly losing hope of a full recovery. Roxton seemed to be in denial that she was anything but tired from the ordeal while the rest of the adventurers didn't have the heart to argue with the man. Challenger monitored her pulse and breathing; her condition hadn't taken a turn for the worse but it wasn't getting any better either. The consensus changed from when she would wake up to when it would be certain that she wouldn't.  
  
Veronica was the optimist of the lot; arguing that as stubborn as Marguerite was that a simple bug couldn't defeat her that easily. The woman had survived giants and homicidal pirates; why would this even remotely be a challenge for her?  
  
Still the weeks went on and finally Roxton emerged from the bedroom every now and then to hunt or to eat with the rest of them. At night he practically lived in the chair that was placed by Marguerite's bedside so that Challenger and Malone constructed a small cot for the hunter to sleep on. Someone was always by the heiress's side in case any slight change might become evident. Veronica would read out loud from the collection of books housed in the tree house; and Malone would recount stories from his journals since Challenger had told all of them that a human voice had in the past brought back unconscious patients from the darkness that engulfed them. Roxton would hold private conversations with the woman he loved and Challenger would confer with her about experiments that he wished to try in the future.  
  
It was a stormy and dark night that this routine was permanently changed. Excepting Roxton, the group was scattered about the main room either reading or writing or, in Challenger's case, dozing in a chair. Almost simultaneously with a particularly loud crack of thunder an anguished cry could be heard from the vicinity of Marguerite's bedroom, startling all of the explorers into attention. Almost sounding like a complete madman Roxton's voice could be heard even above the noise of the wind and rain pummeling the sides of their home.  
  
" Marguerite! Dear God! Marguerite!" 


	6. Chapter Five

Disclaimer and other information in Prologue.  
  
Chapter Five  
  
" Marguerite! Dear God! Marguerite!" Roxton yelled in surprise and disbelief. Only moments ago he had dosed off, using the bedside as a pillow when he had felt something brushing against his hair. As if in a dream he had looked up to see a weak smile on his beloved's face, her gray eyes staring straight back into his own hazel ones.  
  
The others came running into the room; each expecting the worst and nearly collapsing with relief when they saw Marguerite very much alive and lucid and surrounded in a crushing embrace from Roxton. " My God!" Challenger exclaimed happily, moving over to the bedside to check the woman's pulse once again. " Amazing!" he declared offering an embrace of his own that was soon added to by Veronica and Ned.  
  
" What happened?" Marguerite said softly; her throat sore from disuse.  
  
" You got yourself in another fine mess, Marguerite." Roxton said happily.  
  
" What?"  
  
" I'll tell you about it later." He promised with a conspiratorial wink at the others.  
  
" We'd thought you'd really done it this time." Malone said.  
  
" Welcome back." Veronica added softly.  
  
" Well, I should take an early nap more often. Wait- how did we get back to the tree house?" Marguerite inquired, thoroughly confused. Her only response was a collection of laughter from the others.  
  
" I think I missed the joke." She whispered to Roxton who was standing beside her, gripping her hand firmly.  
  
" Oh it was no joke, Marguerite, believe me." He said cryptically with a smile he reserved just for her benefit.  
  
" As much as I hate to say it; I really think that Marguerite should get some rest. She still isn't completely recovered I would say." Challenger said with caution.  
  
" Rest? You're actually suggesting that I sleep more, George? Well I don't know what I did this time but I think I could get used to this." She said, downplaying the nervousness that she felt over the obvious gap in her memory.  
  
Roxton could sense her unease and gave her hand a squeeze for reassurance. " I think Challenger's right. We want a full recovery here and fast."  
  
The others took that as their cue to leave the couple alone and said their goodnights; a heavy burden lifted from their minds.  
  
" John, what really happened?" Marguerite whispered anxiously as soon as the others had left the room.  
  
After a moment of debate whether to recount the story or not, Roxton looked into Marguerite's searching eyes and decided that it was better to put her mind at ease. " You were bitten by a very poisonous insect; the one and the same that you released from Challenger's lab."  
  
Marguerite put a hand to her cheek where the now absent bite had once been.  
  
" Yes, that bite." Roxton paused, taking a deep shuddering breath, the emotion that he had so carefully repressed for the last few weeks coming unfailingly to the surface now that the immediate danger had passed. " We almost lost you, Marguerite. I thought I had lost you."  
  
"John-"  
  
" I don't know what I would have done without you."  
  
" You don't have to worry about that, John. I'm here." Marguerite said, touching her hand to his face.  
  
" That you are." He replied with smile, leaning over to kiss her gently before leaving her to slip into a satisfied, and most importantly ending, sleep.  
  
Slipping back into her room later Roxton almost thought it had all been a wonderful dream until he saw his heiress smile in her sleep at some pleasant dream that was comforting her in sleep. Smiling he sat down on the cot and for the first time in a long time slipped into his own dreamland. 


	7. Epilogue

Epilogue  
  
" Ahhh!" Marguerite screamed loudly hopping onto a chair.  
  
" What is it?" Roxton said, bounding out of the elevator that he had jumped into at hearing her distress.  
  
" It's a bug!"  
  
" Where?" Roxton said, hiding a grin of amusement as he lowered the gun he had raised. In the aftermath of Marguerite's ordeal she had justifiably contracted a phobia of insects.  
  
" Over there! On the table."  
  
" Ahh, I see it now." Roxton said with mock concern.  
  
" What is it?"  
  
" That my dear, is a mosquito."  
  
The End  
  
Author's Extended Note: Chagas disease is a very real disease; although for the purpose of the story I have accelerated the onset of some of the symptoms since in reality it can take up to 20 years for the chronic symptoms to appear and apparently it is hard to diagnose until it is in its advanced stages. The remedies I had Challenger use were found on a website that did research on natural medicines the natives of Brazil used to treat this disease. I seem to be stuck in the angst for Marguerite stage lol, judging from the outcome of my last fiction as well as this one. But the more angst the better opportunity for "heat of the moment" reactions between M/R ;-). Perhaps I shall turn it around in the next one. Thanks to all who have read this! I hope you enjoyed.  
  
Jenn B. 


End file.
